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Feb. 21, 1956 A. E. FROST METERED CIRCUIT FOR EFFECTING REPEATEDRECORDING OPERATIONS Filed Jan. 11, 1951 3| 3O io 37 ATTORNEY UnitedStates Patent NIETERED CIRCUIT FOR EFFECTING REPEATED RECORDINGOPERATIONS Albert E. Frost, Bloomfield, N. 3., assignor to The WesternUnion Telegraph Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication January 11, 1951, Serial No. 205,585

1 Claim. (Cl. 164-113) The present invention relates to the preparationof perforated tape for the transmission of telegraph signals, and moreparticularly to apparatus for automatically producing a predeterminednumber of desired character perforations on a tape for the transmissionof telegraph signals.

In transmitting intelligence by telegraph signals for reproduction onpage printing apparatus, it is frequently desired to reproduce theintelligence in tabular form. For instance, in transmitting sportingnews, such as the results of a baseball game, a first column mightcontain the players names and additional columns might contain suchinformation as at bat, runs, hits, errors, etc. For proper tabulation,each column should be spaced a predetermined number of spaces from theleft hand margin. In the preparation of perforated tape for thetelegraph transmission of such information, operators generallyperforate the tape to represent a players name and position and then, inorder to avoid counting the characters in the name, return the carriageto the margin and perforate a predetermined number of spaces, such as20, in order to be in the proper column for tabulating additionalinformation such as at bat. This manual counting and perforating is alaborious operation and one in which errors frequently occur.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide apparatus forautomatically producing a predetermined number of character perforationsin a tape.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide apparatusfor automatically producing a predetermined number of permuted signalrepresentative character perforations in a tape when a key of theperforating device is actuated in such a way as to initiate operation ofthe automatic counting and perforating apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus forautomatically producing a predetermined number of character perforationsin a tape when the corresponding key of the perforating device is helddepressed for an interval longer than the normal operating time.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription.

According to the invention, these objects are achieved by providing arelay responsive to a particular operation of a key in the perforatingdevice, a relay oscillator or other oscillator means coupled to therelay through a multi-contact switch and energized through the relay,and arranging the relay oscillator to actuate the punching solenoids ofthe perforating device and the stepping magnet of the switch so that thepredetermined number of perforations will be made in the tape and theswitch will step a given number of contacts, the stepping of the lastcontact causing deenergization of the relay and relay oscillator.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference tothe appended drawing which shows one form of circuit arrangementaccording to the invention for 2,735,491 Patented Feb. 21, 1956producing a predetermined number of spacing perforations.

Referring now to the drawing, one end of the winding of aslow-to-operate relay 30 is connected to positive battery while theother end thereof is connected to a front contact 31 of a key 32. Key 32may be a space bar of a perforating device such as, for instance, thekeyboard perforator discolsed in U. S. Patent 1,769,834, issued July 1,1930, to W. E. Harding. While key 32 might be any of the character keysof a perforating device, it will be described hereinafter as a space barhaving a pair of added contacts 31 and 33.

The main contact 33 of bar 32 is connected to ground. The time ofoperation of slow-to-operate relay 30 is chosen so that it will operatewhen bar 32 is held depressed for a period appreciably longer than thenormal time consumed in perforating a space. When relay 30 operates, itlocks up in its operated position through a level L1 of a rotary switch34. The locking up circuit may be traced from positive battery throughthe winding of relay 3%), normally open contacts 35, stud 1 of level L1,and through a wiper 36 to ground.

Operation of relay 30 also closes a circuit from positive batterythrough a pair of normally open contacts 37, a wiper 38 of another levelL2 of rotary switch 34, stud 1 of level L2, a conductor 39, one of thewindings of a relay oscillator 40, and through a pair of normally closedcontacts 41 to ground. For reasons which will be apparent hereinafter,studs 1 through 19 of levels L1 and L2, respectively, are interconnectedby conductors 42 and 39, respectively; When the circuit through level L2and relay oscillator 40 is closed, relay oscillator 40 will oscillate ata frequency determined by the inductance of the relay oscillatorwindings and the capacitance of a condenser 43 connected across therelay oscillator windings. Each time relay oscillator 49 is operated,contacts 41 open to permit discharge of condenser 43 through the relayoscillator windings.

When space bar 32 is depressed, a pair of punch solenoid contacts 44will be closed because of a mechanical linkage 45 between bar 32 andcontacts 44. While a mechanical linkage between bar 32 and contacts 44is shown in the drawing, other means of securing substantiallysimultaneous operation thereof might be employed. In a preferredembodiment of the invention, contacts 44 constitute the perforatoruniversal bail contact. In the deenergized condition of relay oscillator40, a circuit will be completed from positive battery through a punchsolenoid 46, contacts 44, and a normally closed back contact 47 andtongue 48 of transfer contacts 49 to ground. As this circuit is normallyclosed when space bar 32 is depressed, depressing the space bar willcause punch solenoid 46 to perforate a paper tape T with a spaceindication. If space bar 32 is depressed for a sufficiently longinterval for slow-to-operate relay 30 to be energized, relay oscillator40 will be energized and cause tongue 48 to leave back contact 47 andconnect with a front contact 50 of transfer contacts 49. As soon as thecircuit through back contact 47 is opened, punch solenoid 46 will bedeenergized.

When relay oscillator 40 is in its operated position, a circuit isclosed from ground through tongue 48, front contact 50, a conductor 51,and a stepping magnet 52 for rotary switch 34 to positive battery. Whenrelay oscillator 40 oscillates back to its unoperated position, thepunch solenoid circuit through back contact 47 and tongue 48 will againbe closed producing another space perforation on the tape. The return ofrelay oscillator 40 to its unoperated position will also open thestepping magnet circuit through tongue 48 and front contact 50, therebydeenergizing stepping magnet 52 and causing wipers 36 and 38 to step tostuds 2 of levels L1 and L2, respectively. Relay oscillator 40 will nextoscillate to its operated position, opening the punch solenoid circuitand closing the stepping magnet circuit. Relay oscillator 40 willoscillate and alternately actuate punch solenoid 46 and step rotaryswitch 34 until rotary switch 34 has completed 19 steps and wipers 36and 38 of levels L1 and L2, respectively, are resting on studs 20. Whenwiper 38 is resting on stud 20 of level L2, positive battery will nolonger be supplied to relay oscillator 40, so relay oscillator 40 willremain in its unoperated position. Completion of 19 steps of rotaryswitch 34 will correspond to 20 space perforationsin the tape. That thisis the case can be seen from the fact that a space perforation was madewhen space bar 32 was initially depressed and before the first steppingoperation was carried out, and a final space perforation is made afterthe 19th stepping of the rotary switch because punch solenoid 46 isenergized in the unoperated position of relay oscillator 40. Thereforethe punch solenoid obtains one more operation than the rotary switch.Studs 1 through 19 of levels L1 and L2 are short-circuited by conductors42 and 39, respectively, because, as the wipers rest on each of thesestuds, the same cycle of operations is performed.

As soon as wiper 38 is stepped away from stud 19 of level L2, it has nofurther function to perform.

When wiper36 leaves stud 19 of level L1, the locking circuit for relay30 through contacts 35 and level L1 is broken. Therefore relay30 will bedeenergized as soon as space bar 32 is opened. It space bar 32 is openedprior to the 19th stepping of rotary switch 34, relay 30 prior tocompletion of 19 steps by rotary switch 34, the

locking circuit for relay 30 through contacts 35 will keep will remainenergized because of the locking circuit through contacts 35. However,such premature opening of space bar 32 will open contacts 44 therebypreventing energization of punch solenoid 46 and perforation of thetape.

When wiper 36 rests on stud of level L1 and when relay 30 is deenergizedso that a pair of normally closed contacts 53 will be closed, a circuitis completed from ground through wiper 36, stud 20 of level L1,conductor 54, a pair of normally closed contacts 55, conductor 56,contacts 53, conductor 51, and stepping magnet 52 to positive battery.Completion of this circuit energizes stepping magnet 52, causingcontacts 55 to open and stepping magnet 52 causes wipers 36 and 38 oflevels L1 and L2, respectively, to step to studs 21. Since studs 20through of level L1 are short-circuited by a conductor 57, this cycle ofoperations will be repeated at each of studs 21 through 25 of level L1,thereby returning wipers 36 and 38 to studs 1 of levels L1 and L2,respectively. When wiper 36 rests on stud 1 of level L1, the

stepping circuit through contacts 55 cannot be completed and steppingwill cease. The stepping operation from studs 20 home to studs 1 willnot occur until space bar 32 is opened because relay must be deenergizedso that contacts 53 will be closed and permit completion of the homestepping circuit. If space bar 32 is opened relay 30 operated until 19steps have been completed, that is, until wipers 36 and 38 have reachedstuds 20 of levels L1 and L2, respectively. Rotary switch 34 will,therefore, be stepped home to studs 1 whether the space bar is openedprior to or after completion of 19 steps.

The arrangement described provides for the punching of 20 spaceperforations in the tape. It is to be understood that any other desirednumber of space perforations or any desired number of other characterperforations could be produced with an arrangement of the typedescribed.

While the invention has been described in a particular form thereof andin a particular wait is not desired that it be limited thereto, forobvious modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the appended claim.

What is claimed is: In a device for recording telegraphic codecharacters on a control tape, a keyboard having a key lever representinga particular code character, pulse generating means for producing aseries of operating pulses, a recording mechanism initially controlledby operation of the said key lever and subject to further control by theoutput of said pulse generating means, delay means controlled by thesaid key lever for operatively associating said pulse generating meanswith said recording mechanism to cause a succession of pulses to beapplied to said recording mechanism to cause a like succession of codecharacters represented by said key lever to be recorded on said controltape, and pulse counting means comprising a stepping switch, a steppingmagnet therein having an initial position and adapted by connection tothe said pulse generating means to step the said switch away from saidinitial position and into successive contact positions by means of thesaid control pulses, contacts to deenergize the said pulse generatingmeans after a predetermined number'of steps have been made and furthercontacts therein connected to restore the said delay means to the saidinitial position simultaneously with deenergizing the said pulsegenerating means, wherebya fixed predetermined number of said operatingpulses are applied to said recording mechanism whereby depression ofsaid key lever causes immediate recording of a predetermined codecharacter on the control tape, and continued depression thereofthroughout a delay interval initiates the successive recording of apredetermined number of like code characters thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,971,686 Kinkead Aug. 28, 1934 2,252,852 Hoover Aug. 19, 1941 2,355,297Holt Aug. 8, 1944 2,360,637 Anspach Oct. 17, 1944 2,412,422 Rabenda Dec.10, 1946

